Asian palmyrah palm (Borassus flabellifer L.) is a multipurpose, economically important tree widely distributed in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The multifaceted uses (~800 uses) of the tree as food, wood and medicine make it a viable industrial crop. However, the dioecious nature of the tree coupled with long juvenile phase (12–20 years to initiate flowering), long stature and considerable variations in the productivity of male and female trees necessitates the application of new biotechnological tools for crop improvement. This review provides comprehensive information on the extent of genetic diversity of the crop, problems associated with palmyrah cultivation along with its multifaceted application and research gaps to be addressed for the effective utilization and conservation of palmyrah palm genetic resources.

中文翻译：

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亚洲棕榈树（Borassus flabellifer L.）遗传资源：多样性、特征和利用的综合综述

亚洲棕榈树 (长叶柏L.) 是一种多用途、经济上重要的树，广泛分布于印度次大陆和东南亚。树作为食物、木材和药物的多方面用途（约 800 次用途）使其成为一种可行的经济作物。然而，树木的雌雄异株特性加上长的幼年期（12-20 年开始开花）、长的身材以及雄性和雌性树木生产力的巨大差异，需要应用新的生物技术工具来改良作物。本综述提供了有关作物遗传多样性程度、与棕榈树种植相关的问题及其多方面应用以及为有效利用和保护棕榈树遗传资源而需要解决的研究空白的全面信息。